| The Precautionary Principle and Risk Perception: Experimental Studies in the EMF Area Peter M. Wiedemann and Holger Schütz Research Centre Jülich, Programme Group MUT (Humans, Environment, Technology),
Jülich, Germany Abstract
Possible adverse health effects due to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from cellular phones and base stations present a major public health issue across Europe. Because scientists cannot exclude that EMFs may cause health problems, the application of the precautionary principle is debated heavily. By considering precautionary measures, political decision makers hope to cope with public fears about EMFs. We present results from two experimental studies that indicate that precautionary measures may trigger concerns, amplify EMF-related risk perceptions, and lower trust in public health protection. Such impacts, questioning common expectations, should be considered in decisions about precautionary measures. Key words: base stations, electromagnetic fields, health protection, mobile phones, precautionary principle, risk perception. Environ Health Perspect 113:402-405 (2005) . doi:10.1289/ehp.7538 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 10 January 2005]
Address correspondence to P.M. Wiedemann, Research Centre Jülich, Programme Group MUT, 52425 Jülich, Germany. Telephone: 49-2461-61-5890. Fax: 49-2461-61-2950. E-mail: p.wiedemann@fz-juelich.de We thank the students of the Psychology Department of the University of Innsbruck for their support in conducting the experiments, and are also grateful to three anonymous reviewers who commented on a first version of this article. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 1 September 2004 ; accepted 10 January 2005. The full version of this article is available for free in HTML or PDF formats. |
